I tend to be skeptical of people who say they'd watch a raw scan, but those '97 SE shots are making me reconsider my stance. Had to come back today just to get another look, haha.
@Andrea: as John Doom says, there are some sharpening artifacts present in your latest comparison. While unavoidable in an upscale to a certain extent, look at the haloing around R2. Just keep that in mind while you continue experimenting.